This recipe is super yummy and so flexible! Below is our favorite cereal version, but there are many ways to tweak the recipe depending on your preferences.
For the nuts you can put either all almonds or all cashews (or split them as listed below or even try a totally different type of nut). Also, the same thing works for the seeds – you can either put in all pumpkin seeds or all sesame seeds or put in half and half. You could easily play around with the amounts of sesame seeds and flaxseeds as well. If you can’t find unsweetened shredded coconut you can leave it out completely.
If you want granola cereal make it with rolled oats. If you want granola bars then substitute steel cut oats for the rolled oats, and I also like to add dried fruit bits before baking the bars.
For the cereal, once it has baked and cooled completely, you want to put it in a gallon zip lock to break it up into small cereal pieces. If you are making granola bars just break off big chunks instead of using a bag. Don’t expect perfectly uniform rectangles for your granola bars – these are homemade after all!
Granola Bars / Cereal
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups oats, rolled, (if you want bars use steel cut oats so it will stick together better)
- 1 cup almonds, raw, sliced
- 1 cup cashews, chopped, or walnuts or pecans
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, raw
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, raw
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 6 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Cover a rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry oats, almonds, cashews, coconut, seeds and spices together in a large mixing bowl.
- Heat the butter and honey together in a small saucepan over low heat. Once the butter melts stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Pour the hot liquids over the dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.
- Spread mixture onto prepared pan in one even layer. Bake for 75 minutes.
- The granola will become crisp as it cools at which point you can break into pieces (if making bars) or break it up into small chunks by pounding it in a zip lock bag (if making cereal). Store in air tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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Whole Food Snacks for Kids and Adults
Can I replace the oil with applesauce?
Hi Karen, you may be talking about a different recipe as this one doesn’t call for oil. If you’re referring to the 6-ingredient cereal bars, coconut oil is a must as it helps hold them together. – Nicole
Cannot wait to try this❣️So excited to find a granola recipe made with real butter!!! I buy one from Wegmans that I love, but have been searching for a recipe…that uses butter…to make. Thank you, Lisa. I love all of your recipes. ♥️
Glad you found this one :) Let us know how you like it. – Nicole
This is AMAZING granola! We’ve used this recipe for years. We are going to have to go dairy free for one of our kids. Can I substitute butter with coconut oil for this? Or will it smoke?
While we haven’t tried, it shouldn’t smoke since coconut oil can be used for medium/high heat and you’re only cooking the granola at 250. Give it a try and let us know! – Nicole
This is my favorite granola recipe. Ive even got others hooked on it. Ive been able to adapt it and play with it to make it plant based and its just perfect. But I have one question. How can I make it more crunchy or crispy? The only change I made was I took out the butter and swapped 1/2 cup coconut oil, and went a little bit less on the honey. Otherwise the flavor is perfect! Its just soft instead of crunchy like I like. I dont know if thats because of my substitution or if you had any other suggestions. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
You may just want to cook it a little longer to get a bit more crunch. – Nicole
My family loves this granola! We use pecans instead of cashews and maple syrup instead of honey to mix it up and it’s delicious!
What about using already roasted nuts?
I’ve used some roasted nuts- I think sunflower seeds when that’s all I’ve had and it turned out fine. I just don’t think you’d want a lot of roasted and salted since that would probably make it way too salty.